Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will ask Bus Éireann to take a further look at this. The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, announced that from Monday, 21 February 2022 the age at which an applicant for a driving licence must supply a medical report is going to increase from 70 to 75. Drivers under 75 will no longer have to supply a medical report confirming their fitness to drive unless they have an identified or specified illness or are required to do so by law. In addition, drivers aged 70 and over may continue to apply by post to renew a licence or learner permit and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, believes that between February and August this year there will be in the region of 15,000 applicants per month who are aged 70 or over.

Bus Éireann has no current plans to increase the age limit from 70 to 75 for school bus drivers. That does seem a bit inconsistent, given that the Minister of State has changed the rule from 70 to 75, so I will definitely take that up with Bus Éireann.

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